Euonymus japonicus

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Euonymus japonicus
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Xeric Mesic
Hardiness:7
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Evergreen
Height:15'
Width:7'
Speed:Moderate
Blooms:Late Spring-Early Summer
Open Woods Forest
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Euonymus japonicus (common name: japanese spindle tree)

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification, so should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[2]. Seed can take 18 months to germinate[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm long taken at a node or with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy[4].

Cuttings of mature wood, October in a frame78, 113]. Cuttings will root readily at any time of the year if given bottom heat[5].

Root cuttings in winter.

Cultivation: Thriving in almost any soil, including chalk and sandy soils, it is particularly suited to dry shaded areas[4]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Shade tolerant but does not fruit well in such a position[6]. Prefers a well-drained loamy soil[6]. Plants are very tolerant of maritime exposure, succeeding even when grown on the sea shore[7], but they can be killed by cold drying winds[8][9].

A very ornamental plant[5], there are a number of named varieties[9]. It is only hardy in S. England[6] tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c[9]. Plants are more likely to succumb to the cold if they are regularly trimmed (this exposes young growth to the cold), this regular trimming also leads to mildew especially when plants are growing in very dry ground[10].

The Japanese spindle tree is cultivated in Russia and Spain for the latex contained in the root. It is best grown in a dry soil and an open position when being grown for its latex[11][3].

Plants are often slow to get established.

Plants can be susceptible to attacks by caterpillars[10] and are often damaged during the flowering season[6]. They are also a host of the sugar beet fly[12].

This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[4].

Range: E. Asia - Japan. Locally naturalized in S. Europe.

Habitat: Slopes in thickets and woods, especially near the sea[13].

Edibility: Young leaves - boiled[14][15][16]. The old leaves are powdered and used to colour food[17][15][16]. These reports should be treated with some caution due to the report of toxicity - see above.

Medicinal: The stem bark is antirheumatic, diuretic and tonic[18].

The leaf is used in cases of difficult delivery[18].

Usage: Roots and stems yield up to 7% gutta-percha, a non elastic rubber used as an electrical insulator and in making plastics etc[11][3][19].

Can be grown as a hedge, it is very tolerant of trimming and succeeds in severe maritime exposure[6][8][4].

Pollinators: Insects

Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure

In Leaf: Evergreen

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.

Known Hazards: The seed is probably poisonous, other parts of the plant may also be poisonous[20].

Links

References

  1. ↑ Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 3. 1981 - 1982. Royal Horticultural Society, 1981.
  2. ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Rosewarne Experimental Horticultural Station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1984.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  12. ↑ Arnold-Forster, William. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
  13. ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
  14. ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
  17. ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
  19. ↑ Heywood, Vernon. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press.
  20. ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.


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